Clock-frame.



E. H. ALLE-N.

CLOCK FRAME.

APPLICATION FILED IIAII. I9. IQIII. 1,320,520.

EDGAR H. ALLEN, F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

CLOCK-FRAME.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 19, 1918. Serial IIa-223,398,

To all whom t may' concern.' l Be it known that I, EDGAR H. ALLEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Clock-Frames, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the supporting structures in a clock in which the arbors are journaled, and its 'obj ect is to provide a support or frame which is constructed and arranged to permit easy rembval of the main or alarm springs for repairs orreplaeement. The object stated is attained by means of a novel combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter described andl claimed, and in order that the same may be better understood, reference is had to the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification.

In the drawing'liigure 1 is an edge View of the frame, and

Fig. 2 is a similar view taken from the opposite side; l

Fig. 3 is an elevation, and

Fig. 4 is a similar View with certain partsv in changed position, and

Fig. 5 is a detail in perspective showing certain parts separated and ready for assembly. Referring specifically to the drawing, 6 and 7 denote two plates which are connected in spaced relation by corner posts 'or bolts secured by nuts 9. The eloek movement is mounted between these plates, the drawing showing only the main spring 10 -with its arbor 11 and gear 12, and the alarm spring 13 with its arbor 14 and gear 15.

Ordinarily, to remove a broken spring, the frame plates 6 and 7 must be taken apart, involving removal or disturbance of many parts ofthe clock movement. In order toovereome this objection, the, plate 6 is provided with a straight slot 16 and the plate 7 with an oblique slot 17, these slots being so positioned relative, to each other that the arbor 11 may be seated therein for easy re moval.

For locking the arbor 11 in the slots 16 and 17, there is provided a plate 18 having at one of its edges a lateral guard {iange 19 alongside the spring 10 to keep the latter from flying out and injuring the clock casing, if it should break while being wound. One end of the,plate 18 is pivoted to one of the bolts 8, with a washer 20 next to its nut Patented Nov. 4, 1919. i'

9 to permit pivotal movement of the plate i without loosening said nut. The other end of the plate 18 is fastened by the b0lt'8 at the corner opposite the first mentioned bolt 8, and intermediate its ends, the plate has a side of the arbor, whereby said arbor is securelysupported at one end in the matching slots. The other end of the arbor projecting from the frame plate 7 is held by a' pivoted plate 21, the latter being supported by the corner bolt 8 which secures the plate 18. This bolt is housed in a sleeve 22. When the plates 6 and 7 are assembled, with the boit 8 therebetween, and the plate 21 inside the plate 7, the fastening of the nut 9 will bear on the sleeve, so that the lat-ter will press against the plate 21. and hold the same from swinging of itself. In assembling, the nut 9 at this corner of the frame also serves to secure the plate 18. Y

The free end of the plate 21 has a slot 23 to lie against the arbor 11, and match with the slot 17 similar to the slot or notch 18a, and also a small laterally projecting tongue 24. which slips into a perforation Q4 in the plate 7 when the plate 21 is swung to engage the arbor 11, whereby said plate is locked in holding position, and prevented from dropping down if the bolt 8 should accidentally get loose. The edge of the plate 21 also has a stop flange Q5 to limit its swing.

The object of the oblique slot 17 in the frame plate 7 is to enable the arbor 11 to remain in place, after the spring 10 is wound up, without impinging on the locking plates 18I and Q1. 'if Ythe slot 17 were straight as the slot 1G, unwinding 'tendency of the spring would draw on its anbor to recede from the spring anchoring post 26. While this would not be suiiieient to push the plates 18`aiid 21 away, it would, in time, draw the gear 12 out of mesh with the next gear in the train, and the gear would lose mastery of the balance of the train. Also, obliquity of the slot 17 in holding the arbor 11 in the frame, permits the plates 18 and 21 to be be uncoupled and swung away as shown in Fig. 4, without danger of the mainspring assembly flying out of the frame if the spring happened to be wound.

Referring to Fig. 5, it will be noted that the neck of the bolt 8 which secures the plate 21 is square, as shown at 27, to slide in a. similaislot 28 in the plate 7. This feature the bolt so that it will not turn when its nut is applied, and it also enables the bolt to swing' out of the frame plate l after the nut is loosened a few turns. With the head of the bolt not diagonally larger than the diameter ot the bolt and shank, this movement permits easy removal of the plate 2l and the sleeve 22 in a direction outward of the plate 7 after the nut is loosened as described.

The alarn'i spring' assembly is held by an L-shapcd plate 29 coiiperatingl with. an oblique slot 30 in the plate 6 in a manner similar to the plate 21. However no slot is necessary in the plate *Z as a tilt of the assembly makes removal simple. It will be noted in Figs. 3 and lthat the tongues 3l and 32 on the plate 29 cooperate with the traine plate (i for locking' said plate Z9 in holdingV position. itt the angle ot the' plate 2i) is an outturned lug iflserving as a finger hold. v

The post 35 to which the spring 13 is anchored also has a square neck and head as shown in Fig. 2, similar 'to the bolt 8 shown in Fig. 5, to permit the post to swing out after the screw 36 which secures the saine is loosened, after Awhich thel spring loop may be slipped off the post endwise.

ln unfastening the arbor holding plates and the removable parts hereinbefore described, the flexibility of the .frame plates and 7 pern'iits a slight prying apart to allow the parts therebetween to be removed, after the required nut or screw has been loosened or removed. It will therefore be seen that the two spring,` assemblies can be readily removed without disturbing the other parts of the clock train mounted between the traine plates 6 and 7..

l claim:

The combination with the springl arbor of a clock train; ol. a iframe supporting said arbor, said traine consisting of spared plates having edge notches in which the arbor seats and from which its ends project, a bolt connecting the `traine plates, a spacing` sleeve for the traine plates mounted therebetween on the bolt, and retaining plates tl'or the arbor having' edge notches to receive the projecting ends of the arbor, one o'l the retaining plates being' attached to the aforesaid bolt and clamped between one end ot the spacing' sleeve and the adjacent Atraine plate.

ln testimony whereof l atliX my signature.

El) GAR H. ALLEN. 

